Microleakage of resin-modified glass ionomer restorations with selective enamel etching

Bonding of resin-modified glass ionomers to enamel is an important quality, especially when saliva contamination is inevitable. This study evaluated if microleakage of a resin-modified glass ionomer improves with selective enamel etching, with or without saliva contamination.

Class V cavities with the occlusal margin in enamel and the gingival margin on the root were prepared in extracted human permanent teeth and filled with a resin-modified glass ionomer using an acidic primer according to the manufacturer's recommendation or with an additional selective enamel etching step. Preparations were contaminated with saliva before primer application or before restoration placement (n=10). Restored teeth were thermocycled between 5°C and 55°C for 1000 cycles, stained with basic fuchsin, and sectioned. Microleakage distance was measured and analyzed with analysis of variance followed by Duncan post hoc test at a significance level of 0.05.

Enamel microleakage was highest when saliva contamination occurred before the placement of resin-modified glass ionomer. Microleakage distances were significantly reduced in the selective etching groups regardless of saliva contamination. However, selective etching of enamel increased microleakage in cementum. The increase in cementum leakage was significantly higher when saliva contamination occurred before restoration placement.

Selective etching reduces enamel microleakage of a resin-modified glass ionomer even with saliva contamination, but it may increase microleakage at the cementum. The severity of microleakage is affected by the timing of saliva contamination.